Is Technology a Threat to Humanity in the AI Era?... SF Author Ken Liu Says "Technology Completes Humanity"

Ken Liu, Master of SF and Author of "The Paper Menagerie," Visits Korea
Chose Writing Over Careers as Programmer and Lawyer
"Less Financial Reward, But Greater Value in the Work"
Does Not Write Based on Personal Experience
Finds Inspiration Through Scientific Conferences
Creates After Periods of Reflection
"Understanding Humanity Through Technology... The Reason for Science Fiction's Popularity"
"Looking Forward to New Literary Possibilities Through AI"

The protagonist Jack's mother in the short story collection "The Paper Menagerie" (published by Hwanggeumgaji) is a woman whom Jack's American father "chose" after seeing her in a marriage catalog. She claimed to be from Hong Kong and able to speak English, but all of that was a lie. For her, marriage was a choice for a better life. The story depicts how Jack, born with Asian eyes, becomes aware of his differences from white children and turns away from everything about his mother, but after her death, he discovers a letter written on a paper tiger she made, and belatedly reconnects with her. The work won the 2012 Hugo Award, the 2012 Nebula Award, and the 2012 World Fantasy Award.

On the morning of the 15th, author Ken Liu is speaking at a press conference held at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Seo Mideum

At a press conference held at a restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 15th, Ken Liu spoke about Jack's mother in "The Paper Menagerie," saying, "Women from the Third World who try to marry men from wealthy countries are often viewed negatively, but I think they are courageous women who set out on an adventure to find a better life, their own voice, and love." The author, who wanted to view the world from the perspective of women in such negatively perceived situations, said, "I originally wrote this piece at the request of a publisher, but the perspective was so unfamiliar that the publisher rejected it," adding, "While reflecting on the meaning of living as part of a community, I wanted to pay tribute to these women (immigrant brides)."

Ken Liu was born in 1976 in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, in northwestern China, and immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 11, making him a first-generation immigrant who arrived as a child. He majored in English literature at Harvard, but his life took various turns afterward. He worked as a programmer at Microsoft, graduated from Harvard Law School, and worked as a lawyer for seven years. Then he returned to being a writer. He said, "Being a writer is not as financially rewarding as being a programmer or a lawyer, but even so, I consider it a great fortune to write and meet readers," adding, "When I hear people say they 'found the light of life' or 'rediscovered the joy of reading' through my works, I feel very happy. Although I earn less money, I am extremely happy and feel the value of this work."

Although he has gained worldwide attention for his various science fiction novels, Ken Liu considers science fiction to be closer to myth-making than to predicting the future. Just as the science fiction classic "Frankenstein" was not about predicting the future, but about conveying ideas for future generations to ponder. For him, futuristic technology in science fiction is a positive means of expressing human nature. He said, "Technology is often portrayed as an evil that threatens humanity, but I actually think technology completes humanity. Just as it is difficult to understand ants without an anthill or bees without a hive, it is difficult to understand humans without technology. That is one of the reasons why science fiction is so widely read."

It may seem that his background as a Chinese-American influences some of his works, but he said, "I do not write based on my personal life," adding, "I participate in scientific conferences and have conversations with many scientists and engineers to gain inspiration." After having discussions with various scientists about topics like "how to stay young and live forever" or "how to digitize human memory," he always takes time to let ideas simmer. He explained, "I read, take walks, play with my child, or sometimes do nothing at all. There needs to be a period of stillness before a new work can be created."

For him, stories are essentially the same as history. He explained that in French, the word for history and story is the same, and it was only after being transmitted to the English-speaking world that the two began to be distinguished. For this reason, as a writer who creates stories, he is deeply interested in history. He said, "Every country has stories about who we are, why we live as we do now, and what makes us different from other countries. Such stories move me deeply," adding, "In that sense, I have great respect for the history of Korea. I have a strong desire to deeply understand the modernity of Korea, which became a modern nation in such a short time." Previously, he presented works inspired by Hangul, such as the collection "Somewhere Unimaginable, Where Countless Reindeer Herds Tie Knots," and "The Gods Will Not Be Slain - Bukdu," which depicts Admiral Yi Sun-sin and the exploits of the turtle ship.

Regarding concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) is plagiarizing human creative works, he said, "Artists have the right to be compensated and should be compensated ethically," but firmly stated that his current thinking goes beyond such concerns. He said, "In the long run, I am interested in new arts that humans could not create without AI, but now can. Rather than the replacement of humans by AI, I am fascinated by the realization of new dreams that did not exist before, made possible by AI."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.